Herbal Jumpstart Part I

Herbal Jumpstart Part I

Slide 1 not even because learning about herbs is

all that difficult. The problem is how we
Hello and welcome! This presentation
commonly approach learning about herbs.
is about taking the guesswork out of
choosing herbs. Because when you’re
using herbs for your health you don’t want Slide 4
to be wondering “Is this going to work? or Too often we base our learning on
“Is this even safe?” memorizing lists. We want to know what
herb is good for a problem, so we look it up
Slide 2 in a reference, and then try to memorize
the suggestions found there.
Just as you wouldn’t want to hear that your
pilot is “pretty sure” they know how to fly.
WHEN it comes to your health, you want to Slide 5
be certain something will help you and not When you use a list-based method
harm you. You want to feel confident that of learning, you often end up with an
the herbs you choose are going to work. overwhelming amount of options! There
might be twenty choices for herbs that
Slide 3 are good for digestion, how do you decide
which one to use? And, if you manage to
If you’ve ever felt confused about which
pick one herb out of the many, or perhaps
herb to take, you aren’t alone. I’ve been
even a formula, then you have to figure out
teaching people how to get results with
how to even take it.
herbs for over 15 years, and uncertainty
about which herbs to choose, as well as
concerns over safety, are very common. Slide 6
So, what’s with all this confusion? Well, Are the herbs best used as an alcohol
it’s not because we’re all stupid. And, it’s extract or tincture?

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Slide 7 knowing WHO you are is the best place to

Or are they best as a tea? Should you infuse start when choosing herbs.
the herb in hot water or simmer it? Is it
going to even taste good? Slide 17
The second part is how to move beyond
Slide 8 memorizing lists of herbal information to
Is it better to take the herb fresh or dried? really getting it in a way you’ll never forget.
Or does that even matter?
Slide 18
Slide 9
And then the last series of videos will
And how much should you take? Is more put it all together in a practical way by
always better? showing you how five specific herbs can
be used to address things like digestion,
Slide 10-Slide 11 inflammation, heart health and the
List-based learning leads to confusion, immune system.
overwhelm and is oftentimes ineffective.
The sooner we let go of memorizing lists, Slide 19
the better!
Well, our first main topic is YOU. Who are
Slide 12 you?
My name is Rosalee de la Forêt, I’m an
herbalist and author of the bestselling
Slide 20
book, Alchemy of Herbs. I created this Well, you’re definitely unique. There is no
herbal jumpstart course for you because… one out there like you.

Slide 13 Slide 21
I want you to be able to choose the best When we look at a sea of humans, we can
herbs for your everyday health. instantly see so many unique qualities
amongst them. From age, to gender
Slide 14 identity, to weight to skin color. AND,
So that your experience of using herbs is a when we get to know people, we see a
lot less like this… million other differences and similarities
from simple preferences in food or colors
Slide 15 or style to particular preferences like
And a lot more like this. whether or not someone prefers to live in
a hot climate or in a cold climate.
Slide 16
Through the next several videos we’re Slide 22
going to explore crucial components of Isn’t it strange that despite our many
using herbs effectively. The first step is why differences, when we get sick, the focus is

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on the name of the disease and not on our Slide 35-Slide 36

individuality?
As a result, if 10 people with a rash went
to see a traditional herbalist, they would
Slide 23 most likely walk out with 10 different
It’s also very strange that our current solutions. Those different solutions would
medical paradigm often believes that be based on WHO that person is.
health and healing reside within a pill.
Slide 37
I’m sure many of you have experienced the
Slide 24 – Slide 29 pitfalls of western medicine. Does any of
If you have pain…Take a pill. Seasonal this sound familiar to you…
pollens got you sneezing every two
seconds? Take a pill. Fever? Oh yeah, Slide 38
we’ve got a pill for that too.
You’re told that everything’s normal and
you’re tired of having your symptoms
dismissed.
Slide 30
What we end up with is a healing paradigm Slide 39
where an authoritative figure, and the pills
You’re worried about the so-called side
we swallow, are the main focus.
effects… which in reality are just effects, of
modern-day pharmaceuticals.
Slide 31-Slide 32 Slide 40
Here’s another way to look at it. Let’s say 10
You’re worried that pills are being used as
people with a rash go to a doctor and they
a band-aid or surface treatment to mask
are then diagnosed with eczema. Chances
your symptoms, while underlying causes
are those 10 people will walk out with the
go unchecked.
same prescription. No matter if those ten
people have different underlying causes,
or even react to medications differently. Slide 41
Instead you want true health, from
Slide 33- Slide 34 the inside out. You want to use natural
medicines that don’t have harsh negative
That’s because in western medicine:
effects. You’re ready for a better more
You have eczema (period). However, in
holistic approach to health and healing.
herbalism, you aren’t reduced to “eczema”.
Instead, who YOU are is carefully assessed
so that the best plants can be chosen Slide 42
specifically for YOU. Well often, the first step in this journey, is
simply to switch out herbs for pills.

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Slide 43 to tell whether your pain is hot or cold, and

We think, okay, before when I had a
headache, I took this pill. Now, I want
something natural. So, what herb do I now
take for my headache?
Slide 44
We might look up, herbs for headaches.
Hmmm… there’s a lot there! How do
we decide which one is right? If we try
something and it doesn’t work, what does
that mean?
therefore which herbs would be the best
match.
Slide 49
You’ll know the best herbs to choose for a
cold fever or for a hot fever.
Slide 50
As you better understand who you are and
your symptoms, you’ll be able to choose
your herbs confidently.

Slide 51
Slide 45
If you can imagine in which one of these
The reality is, substituting herbs for drugs
situations you would want a hot cup of tea
is not always an effective way to use herbs.
or a cup of iced lemonade, then I know you
This approach often leads to confusion,
can do this!
overwhelm and poor results. Instead, we
need to take a step back and re-think our Slide 52
whole paradigm of healing.
Another thing I want to mention is that
Slide 46 within many different kinds of herbalism,
there’s a basic tenet that herbs are best
The first step begins with restoring YOUR used when they assist YOU. This is a very
role in your health. And that begins with different paradigm that taking a pill that
getting to know WHO you are. cures you. Instead, herbalism recognizes
that YOU are your best healer. That your
Slide 47 body is so beautiful and complex and..
Really, it’s about getting in touch with HOW and .. smart! It knows how to heal. But
YOU FEEL. sometimes it needs a helping hand.

Slide 48 Slide 53
And that’s okay, we all need help. But
In so doing, you’re going to learn a whole
there’s a difference between being on
new healing paradigm and a new language
equal footing or on the same team, than
to go along with it. And what you are
having a hierarchy of healing.
learning isn’t born out of memorization,
but simply observing yourself. You’ll begin
Slide 54
to feel that your digestion is cold, and
you’ll know that you’ll feel better with Herbs work best when they’re chosen to
warming digestive herbs. Or you’ll be able assist your healing. But, in order to choose

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those herbs well, you have to understand Slide 60

how they act in your body. You need to For you, that might mean, choosing the
know how they make YOU feel. best herbs to help maintain your health so
that you can feel your best.
Slide 55-Slide 56
Because as we discussed, YOU are unique. Slide 61
And what works for Aunt Jane…might not
And, it may also mean that you are able
work for you.
to safely and effectively take care of those
every day, minor, but significant health
Slide 57 issues you might face, like some sleepless
Remember, that’s a very different paradigm nights, or an upset stomach, or headaches
than this one-size-fits-all medicine that or colds and the flu.
many of us grew up with. Which isn’t to say
that doctors and pharmaceuticals don’t Slide 62
have their roles to play. There are many
The big takeaway here is that herbs are
doctors and nurses and other people a powerful way to safely and effectively
within western medicine who are helping take care of your everyday health needs.
people get better every day. But, at the However, it’s not about switching out a
same time, we know there are issues with drug for an herb.
this perspective of healing.
Slide 63
Slide 58
Instead, to get the best results with herbs,
I also want to be very clear that I’m not it’s more important to know WHO you are,
suggesting there are always these miracle rather than simply WHAT disease you have.
solutions to complex chronic diseases. If When you know who you are, then the
you have a chronic illness, you’ll greatly remedy can be fine-tuned to really work
benefit from working with an experienced for you. This gives a lot more consistent
practitioner. Clinical herbalists go to many results rather than simply using a one-size-
years of intensive school in order to have fits-all approach. So how do you begin to
the knowledge and experience it takes choose the best herbal remedy for you?
to use herbs for complex and chronic We’ll take a look at that in the next video…
diseases.
Slide 64
Slide 59
To re-cap. In this video you saw why
But, when it comes to your everyday health knowing who you are is the best place to
needs, I strongly believe you deserve to start when choosing herbs. In the next
be empowered to take care of your own video you’ll see how you can move beyond
health. memorizing lists of herbal information to
really getting it in a way you’ll never forget.